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Friday, 28 February 2014

TWO POSTS IN ONE DAY! I was so chuffed after my last post that I immediately took to Google and found something else vintage-y to produce for you!

This was inspired by this polka dot pattern I found on DeviantArt. I started with a base of Rue (which took three coats to opacity, and was mysteriously sort of lumpy?), and then did dots with Crescent Heights, Where Did Suzi's Man-Go?, and Blowing Raspberries.

After that, I did two coats of top coat to protect the base, and did the 'watercolour' technique with Chelsea Physic Garden and Moody Blues. I then sealed everything in another coat of top coat. And then bumped my index and thumb badly while opening a bottle of wine. (This is, in a nutshell, everything you need to know about me.)

I wasn't lying when I said that this would take a while. I'm still running on fumes, creatively, but I wanted to at least get this post up for you. I've had this idea kicking around in my head for the past week or so, and finally sat down to do it.

My inspiration was based loosely on the beaded trim of flappers' dresses. There was no specific dress that inspired the pattern; I just made it up. :)

I hope you click on these photos to zoom them in. Not because the detail warrants it, but because the base colour (Contraband) is very subtle and lovely. It's a blue-purple base with purple and pink sparks. It comes across as purple in person and is just a doll of a shade, both the apply and to admire on my fingertips.

The 'beading' was done with white acrylic paint and my tiny detail brush. Here is a direct light shot, to try to show you the complexity of Contraband a bit better:

I start my new job on Monday! I'm really very excited. I hope to finish off this month's "week" this weekend sometime, likely Sunday, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Then I can gear up for the next Digit-al Dozen week-- my promise to myself is to keep doing them until I get my mojo back, at which point I will ramp up and start posting in-between them, as I usually do.

xo,

J.

CHECK OUT WHAT THE OTHER TALENTED LADIES OF THE DIGIT-AL DOZEN WERE UP TO:

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Remember me? ;) Haha. I haven't given up on Digit-al Dozen Week, though it ended last week. I've been going through some very hard times, and I haven't had the energy for much of anything since last Wednesday. But I have a job now!! I start 3 March. I'm super excited about that. Anyway, enough blather -- onto the nails!

This look was quick and easy to do. It involves only two colours, and used a liner brush and a medium detail brush.

The base colour is Shirin, and the linework is all Educate. I used a photo of a brass banister I found on Google as my rough guide, and simplified it a bit for the nail. I could have done this with acrylic paint and gone to town on the detail, but I don't mind it like this, either.

Here is a close-up so you can see the little green flecks in Educate (very pretty):

I found out about my new job on Friday, and had my heart rather broken on Friday, too. Have you ever had that happen to you-- a really good thing and a really awful thing all at once? I'm trying to choose the path of light, to be happy and whole. Everything takes so much time, doesn't it? We're a curious bunch, us humans. :)

xo,

J.

CHECK OUT WHAT THE OTHER TALENTED LADIES OF THE DIGIT-AL DOZEN HAVE DONE:

About Me

I live someplace very cold. Very, very cold. I love warmth; this state of affairs remains unreconciled. I am mama to a wee cat, a part-time pastel artist, a full-time blanket hog, and a devourer of Greek yogurt. I can be reached at followgashin (at) gmail (dot) com.